Overview & Reviews

Jaguar cars have a long history of elegant styling and sporting performance. The brand was born in the United Kingdom, and for years its vehicles were synonymous with the old-world luxury of the British upper classes. More recently, Jaguar has been under the ownership of other automakers, but Jaguar cars will always bear the unmistakable gleam of traditional English refinement.

The company traces its roots to the Swallow Sidecar Company, founded in 1922 by Bill Lyons and William Walmsley. Based in Blackpool, England, the company produced a popular line of aluminum motorcycle sidecars. Swallow eventually switched its focus to automobile production, changing its name to SS Cars Ltd. in 1933. The first vehicle to carry the Jaguar name was the SS Jaguar 100, released in 1935.

After World War II, SS Cars switched its moniker to Jaguar so as not to be associated with the Nazi paramilitary organization that bore the same initials. Its first postwar offering was 1948's Mark V. The luxury sedan was joined that year by the XK 120, a sports car that was the fastest production automobile of its day — its name indicating its top speed. The XK 120 proved quite popular, and helped Jaguar establish a strong presence in the sports car market.

By the 1950s, Jaguar had begun exporting luxury vehicles to the United States. Created just for the American market, the Mark VII Saloon was introduced in 1951 and was a hit with stateside motorists. In 1956, the car took the prize at the Monte Carlo Rally. Later in the decade, Jaguar added the Mark VIII and Mark IX to its lineup. Meanwhile, the XK became the XK 140 as performance increased. Then came the XK 150 which was obviously even faster, though not quite as curvaceously alluring as the 120/140 models.

The 1960s saw the launch of one of Jaguar's most well-known models. The E-Type (or XK-E as it was known in the U.S.) debuted for 1961. The new sports car, available as either a coupe or convertible, provided performance and refinement wrapped up in an undeniably sexy package. The success of groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and icons like Twiggy the fashion model made British culture a hot commodity during the '60s — a fact that likely had positive implications for Jaguar's popularity in the U.S.

A decade later, Jaguar introduced the XJ6C and XJ12C coupes to join the sedans. At one point, the XJ12 was the fastest production sedan of its day. By the mid-'70s the lovely E-Type was replaced by the relatively bland XJ-S. The 1980s saw Jaguar continuing to raise the bar in performance with the launch of the XJ-S HE and a true world supercar, the XJ220.
By this time, however, Jaguar's cars had also built up a reputation for questionable reliability, electrical problems being the chief source of owners' angst. Increased competition from German automakers and adverse exchange rates didn't help matters either. Without much capital to work with to improve matters, the company decided to pursue a partnership with another company. This decision ultimately led to a full buyout of Jaguar by Ford in 1990.

Ford's influence (and financial support) was evident with the 1997 launch of Jaguar's XK8 and supercharged XKR sports cars. Powering both was Jaguar's new AJ-V8, a compact yet powerful engine that was also used in certain Land Rover vehicles. A few years later, Jaguar made an effort to broaden its product line with the introduction of a lower-priced, entry-luxury compact sedan known as the X-Type. Unfortunately, this model sold poorly, as its modest European Ford sedan underpinnings proved to be a liability. Around this time, Jaguar's old-school traditional styling grew stale as competitors moved into the new millennium with cutting-edge, modern designs inside and out.

Sales plummeted, and Jaguar's financial problems caused further headaches for parent company Ford, which was also experiencing financial turmoil. Ford cut its losses and sold Jaguar (and fellow British premium brand Land Rover) to Indian manufacturer Tata in 2008. Though reliability still remains a concern, new models like the XF and redesigned icons XK and XJ seem to indicate a bright Jaguar future, as they feature modern designs sprinkled with a fair share of classic Britannic charm.

User Reviews:

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  love it - 2003 Jaguar S-Type
  By dog lover - December 17 - 10:00 am

  The car is 70% redone for 2003 and yet I have had absolutely no problems since delivery. The dealer was business like, didnt waste my time and delivered when he said he would, with the equipment I ordered. The Nav system is superb, you cant fool it. the tranny is fun and love the J-gate.

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  Love the car / fun to drive - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Bob Cass - December 12 - 4:06 pm

  The XJR is wonderfully responsive to throttle movement. If you need quick passing power 394 horses do provide a thrill. With its 6 gear automatic transmission the supercharged engine does get very good gas millage (19 MPG in town) When to drivers seat heater is engaged the steering wheel also warms up quickly. We have had no meckanical difficultise, but have one critique - the outside air temp readout is poorly positioned and hard to read and we miss the rear cabin vanity lighted mirrors that were in the Mercedes S 420 we traded in. We enjoy this car so much that our next vehicle will be a Jaguar.

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  One of the Best Cars I Have Owned - 2005 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Tom, Boca Raton FL - December 9 - 10:03 am

  After owning a Lexus and BMW, I decided to buy a Jaguar - VDP. Excellent car in styling, comfort, reliablility, handling and dealer service. In a Class of Its Own, The German & Japanese cars cannot compare.

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  I love this car! - 2002 Jaguar S-Type
  By Gordon - December 7 - 7:46 pm

  Before I bought the car, Ive heard a lot of horror stories about Jags, but after seeing so many positive JD Power reviews, I decided to buy the S-Type. Ive always loved its elegant styling and the sexy lines, and I still think this is the best looking car out there. The S-Type has been extremely reliable, the signal light bult went out twice, but its really no big deal, dealer took care of it for me (Got Certified used, 6 yr/100,000 mile warranty). The interior is very nice, the leather still looks and smell new. Although its a bit harder because I do have the optional sports package. After driving the car for 6 months, I still get a big smile whenever I see the car!

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  Awsome car regardless of price - 2003 Jaguar X-Type
  By 2nd Jag - December 6 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Jag. I had an S-Type for last 4 years and was extremeley happy with it. The reliability was great and got lots of looks! I had to go to an All-Wheel drive due to all the snow in colorado. I had test driven the X-type in the snow a few times and did great. I cant wait for S-type to come up with an all-wheel drive.

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  5 years in and I still love it! - 2004 Jaguar X-Type
  By uab9253 - December 5 - 12:30 pm

  I bought mine new in December 2004 and I still love this car. I have had 50000 relatively trouble free miles. I have only had bulbs, battery, fluids replaced - just got a rear brake job. Like another reviewer, I switched from Continental to Fuzion tires - they seem to be holding up much better and look good too. I also have the cloth wrinkling along the supports on each side of the windshield. This car has never left me, embarrassed me or sent me to the shop. I only just now have to pay for service- Dealer prices were a shock. Ive probably gone there for the last time - minor stuff Ill have done at a local garage. Glorified oil change at 50K "Service" miles was $500.

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  Love My Jag! - 2006 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By Sea Breeze - December 2 - 10:16 am

  My husband surprised me w/my 05 XJ Vanden Plas N.Y.s Eve. This has been my dream car all of my life. It drives like a dream. It looks gorgeous and still turns my head.

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  2001 XJR - 2001 Jaguar XJ-Series
  By 2001 XJR - December 2 - 5:30 am

  Excellent car!! Fun to drive, great power and handling! Sexy, stylish and elegant! British Racing Green at its best!!

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  BUY IT NOW - 2000 Jaguar S-Type
  By jaglover - November 22 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car in 2000, since, I have put close to 75000 miles on it. I am a traveling salesmen and I drive alot! At first I was a bit wary to get a Jaguar because of its past track record In the 80s and early 90s but since they were bought out I decided to lease one for a year. After six months I broke my lease and purchased on. In 2001 my wife purchased one to. We have three kids and we love to go on road trips this car always has enough room. Take it from me I have owned a BMW, Cadillac, and an Infiniti The jaguar is by far the most reliable and beautiful. BY one TODAY

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  take the good with the bad - 2002 Jaguar X-Type
  By kmac - November 21 - 11:26 pm

  I purchased my X-type a couple years used and I believe I got a great value for the money, thanks to the high rate of depreciation on Jags. The car has been fairly reliable for me; it looks like it cost 3 times more than I paid for it; and the AWD is great in snow. The the downside of owning a used Jag is that once the warranty runs out (along with the included maintenance), upkeep is costly, especially at the dealership where $500 to $1,000 for scheduled maintenance is normal. I would say that if you value the "cool factor" more than such practical considerations as reliability, resale value, maintenance costs, etc., then this is great car for the money - if you bought used that is.